Recent sharp increase in number of Highland Covid-19 coronavirus cases slows; just two new cases confirmed in past 24 hours

THE number of confirmed Covid-19 cases in the Highlands slowed today after several days of larger than average increases.

Just two further cases of the virus were confirmed in the past 24 hours – taking the Highland total to 299.

But the figure is 57 cases higher than the overall total of 242 that was recorded as recently as Thursday – a rise of almost a quarter inside four days.

The increases came amid confirmation from NHS Highland yesterday that there had been a "significant number" of cases among staff and residents of a Skye care home. The total number of cases at Home Farm in Portree has not been revealed.

Today's two Highland cases came amid an overall increase of 169 across Scotland as a whole, which has recorded 12,266 positive tests since the outbreak first began. The number of people who tested positive who have died rose by five to 1576.

The number of people receiving treatment in Scottish hospitals with suspected or confirmed Covid-19 increased by 54 to 1720 last night, but those in intensive care remained the same, at 99.

Elsewhere in the north, Shetland, Orkney and Eileanan Siar's recent period without fresh diagnoses continued into another day. They have have had 54, seven and six cases respectively since the outbreak began.

NHS Grampian, meanwhile, recorded 33 new diagnoses, to take its total to 931, but the number of people receiving hospital treatment for the virus fell from 147 to 130.

And NHS Tayside recorded just one new case. It has now had 1411 confirmed cases of Covid-19 since the start of the pandemic. There were 92 people in its hospitals with the virus, up four in a day.

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